Means for correlating a plurality of initially separate structural pieces



y 10, 1934- w. R. WILEY MEANS FOR CORRELATING A PLURALITY OF INITIALLYSEPARATE STRUCTURAL PIECES Flled Apnl 15 1932 INVENTOR ATTO RN EYSPatented July 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE F INITIALLY SEPARATEPIECES STRUCTURAL William R. Wiley, Detroit, Mich.

Application April 15, 1932, Serial No. 605,545

3Claims.

This invention relates to means for correlating a plurality of initiallyseparate structural pieces, and has for its object an improvedorganization of parts whereby such articles may be effectively united,though left capable of easy structural disassemblage when this isdesired. For convenience and clearness of illustration, my inventionwill be herein discussed as applied to a valve stem for anchoring thevalve compression springs of an internal combustion motor, but it willbe obvious that the same principles could be employed in numerous otherquite diverse applications, and I desire the scope of this disclosure tobe understood accordingly.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a valve stem andspring with one form of my improved anchorage element shown in positionrelatively thereto.

Figure 2 is a perspective of a preferred form of anchorage element,disassociated from the other parts.

. Figure 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a slightlymodified form of anchorage element shown in position on a fragmentaryportion of a stem.

Figure 4 is a perspective of this form of anchorage disassociated fromthe stem.

Figure 5 is a partly sectional elevational view of a further modifiedform of anchorage element, shown in position on a piece of stem orshaft.

Figure 6 is a perspective of this modified form, with the position ofthe shaft relatively thereto phantomed, in dotted lines.

Figure 7 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a still furthermodified form in position on a fragmentary portion of a valve stem orsimilar element.

Figure 8 is a perspective of this modified form alone.

Figure 9 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a furthermodified form of anchorage element shown in position on the fragmentaryrepresentation of a stem.

Figure 10 is a perspective of the modified form of anchorage elementshown in Figure 9. g V

Figure 11 is a plan or flattened-out view of the stamping from which theanchorage element, shown perspectively in Figure 10, is formed.

All of the several forms of anchorage element herein illustrated arebuilt around the central idea of interposing a filler or sleeve ofuniform wall thickness between two angularly inclined surfaces, which,but for the interposed sleeve, would be spaced from one another, andreliance upon the progressive compression of the constituent material ofsuch interposed sleeve in resisting the relative movement of the twoparts, such as the stem and the flanged abutment, against which one endof a compression spring 80 rests.

Referring first to the form illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, Aillustrates a valve stem whose otherwise truly circular contour has beenslightly reduced, as at B, so as to be of conical cross-section as thestem as a whole is viewed elevationally. The upper end of thecompression spring C rests against whatever form of abutment may bechosen, as D, whereas its lower end rests upon the flange F of theformed collar E, whose easy removal for purposes of repair to the engineis often as desirable as is the solidity of anchorage of the lower endof the spring when the engine is fully assembled and operating. Theconically inclined surface E of the bore of the collar E is of suchdiametrical measurement that it is normally spaced from the similarlytapering conical surface B, though the diameter of the bore at its topend, as E, is only slightly in excess of the diameter of the stem A,just enough to permit its slidso ing therealong when first assembled,though beneath the level of the shoulder A on the stem the samethickness of intervening space remains as throughout the length of thecollar E.

Interposed between these parts, before the top 5 edge E of the collar islowered beneath the level of the shoulder A, is a washer or shim G,which in the form shown in Figure 2 is actually composed of acomplementary pair of curved pieces of metal or other suitable material,G and G having partly conic surfaces. They are of uniform wall thicknessfrom top to bottom, are spaced slightly at their meeting edges G toallow for compression by the collar E, and are united and "resilientlyheld in position by the looped projection or handle G.

In the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 these tapered and curved walls Gand G are slightly bent at,their lower edges, as G so as to fit with amoderate degree of interlocking connection in the groove A on the stemor shaft. Thus, when this filler piece G is inserted over the conicallymachined portion B of the stem A, its curved sides of uniform wallthickness, as G and (3*, fully occupy the space otherwise separating theconical surface B from the interior surface of thebore in the collar E.Any attempt thereafter to force the collar E further down the stem A,and quite without reliance upon any major locking influence upon theoverbent edge G and the groove A is counteracted by the fact that thefurther downward travel of the sleeve E encounters the resistance tocompression offered by the conical walls G and G and that the furtheraway from the level of the shoulder A the top edge E of the conicalcurved surface is attemptedly forced the thinner is the space into whichthe component material of the walls G: and G can be compressed. Thus avery firm anchorage in predetermined relation is effected between thestem andthe collar, though this can be easily and quickly terminatedwhen desired by such intentional lifting of the collar E as will permitthe seizure of the handle G of the interposed washer and its detachmentfrom the conical surface B.

rial slightly longer on one side than on the other,

so that when its terminal edges are brought together, as illustrated inFigure 4, the resultant structure would be the frusto-conical piecetherein shown perspectively.

In this form I have brought out in Figure 3 the shoulder K on the stem Kwhich' would serve as the equivalent for the positive groove A shown inFigure 1, but the same idea as to substantial uniformity of thickness ofthe walls of the washer H is maintained, and the same principle ofoperation as regards its compression by the tapering or frusto-conicalwalls L of the collar M is adhered to.

The modified form illustrated in Figure 5 and 6, though incross-sectional representation re- ,embling the showing in Figure 3,varies therefrom in that the shim elements consist of a pair of flatpieces Q of sheet metal of suitable gauge or other equivalent materialwhich are laid against correspondingly flattened or slabbed-ofi surfacesP on opposite sides of the stem or shaft P. As the accurate positioningof these individual shim pieces Q and the suitable holding of them inplace while the collar P is being slipped thereover would sometimes bediflicult, these pieces may, if desired, be united by a resilient loopedholding element, as Q, functioning in the same manner as the handle Gshown in Figures 1 and 2.

Themodified construction shown in Figures '7 and 8 varies from thosepreviously-described principally in that the frusto-conical reduction orcontouring R of the stem S has the anchorage groove T placed at the topor narrowed end of the portion R, and to eifect the removal of thewasher U, U therefrom it is necessary that the collar V be movedupwardly along the stem S to such a degree that the inbent flanges ofthe washers or shims may be freed from the groove T, as in the othercases, the substantial uniformity of wall thickness of the washer orshim U is maintained.

The form illustrated in Figures 9, 10 and 11 is, in many respects,similar in principle to that 11- lustrated in Figures 1 and 2, in thatthe shaft or stem W has both a conically tapered surface X and a grooveW, and therebeneath, into which latter theunderbent flanges Y of theshim or washer Z may be fitted, the partly conoidal and slightly spacedside portions Z and Z. are designed to flt about the sloping surface ofthe similarly contoured part X similarly to the parts G and Ci of thefirst described form. In this form, as in the others, the substantialuniformity of wall thickness of the shim Z is maintained and theresistance thereof to compression by the sloping surface of the bore Mof the collar N is adhered to. The ease with which any of these forms ofshim can be stamped out from blanks of sheet metal or other materialwhich are subsequently die pressed to proper curvature is madeespecially clear in Figure 11.

It should be clearly understood that while for convenience and accuracyof manufacture I have, in the various forms of shim above described,mentioned the handle or correlating loops, G of Figure 2, Q of Figure 6,and Z of Figure 10, as made unitary with the stem-engaging curved sidepieces, as G: and G3 of Figure 2 and Z and Z of Figure 10, the scope ofthis disclosure is intended to be inclusive of a shim built up from twooriginally separate side pieces, as G and G united in proper relation bythe welded-on ends of an initially separate loop of wire.

Similarly I desire to emphasize that while my experience has shown thedesirability of close adherence to uniformity of wall thickness of theflller pieces, the intended scope hereof is inclusive of such pieces asare actually a few thousandths of an inch thinner at the top edge of thecone shell which they form; such a slight change, without modificationof the function performed by these parts, would bring about no materialchange therein.

What I claim is:

1. Means for securing an abutment upon a rod, including a taperedportion of reduced diameter carried by the rod, an abutment memberhaving an aperture therein with a similarly tapered inner surfacearranged outside and spaced from the tapered portion of the rod, saidaperture in the abutment member having a minimum diameter greater thanthe maximum diameter of the tapered portion of the rod, means includinga plurality of shim sections insertable between said tapered surfacesfor preventing movement of the abutment relatively to the rod inonedirection, and means for handling said sections and for resilientlypositioning them relatively to each other, the sections and the handlingand positioning means being integrally formed of sheet metal andcomprising a pair of shims inclined similarly to said tapered portion ofthe rod and a looped spring portion secured to each and projectingtherefrom.

2. Means for securing an abutment upon a rod, including a taperedportion of reduced diameter carried by the rod, the rod having also aslot adjacent the tapered portion, an abutment member having an aperturetherein with a similarly tapered inner surface portion, said taperedaperture having a minimum diameter greater than the maximum diameter ofthe tapered portion of the rod, means for preventing movement of theabutment relatively to the rod, including a plurality of separate shimsections inserted between said tapered surface portions, a portionintegral with a shim projecting into the slot in the rod, and a combinedhandle and spring portion also integral with and resiliently connectingsaid shim members and projecting laterally therefrom.

3. Means for securing an abutment member upon a rod, comprising a rodhaving a reduced and tapered surface portion and a slot adjacent thetapered portion, an apertured abutment member arranged outside butspaced from the tapered rod portion and having a similarly tapered innersurface whose minimum diameter is greater than 15 the maximum diameteroi. said tapered portion of the rod, an interposed filler for lockingthe abutment against movement along the rod in one direction, comprisinga plurality of similarly tapered sections of substantially uniformthickness arranged between said tapered surface portions of the rod andabutment member, a combined

